The Angry Beavers Review/Transcript
Daggett: '*screams* James Buchanan, our only bachelor president! Heh. ''(Intro) Why is this show called ''The '''Angry Beavers''? I mean while the beavers do get angry every so often, the show isn't really about them being ''angry. They don't seem more irritable than other cartoon stars. In fact, Norbert is usually pretty chill, to the point where it's almost his defining character trait. I guess I'm stalling because...I didn't get into this one too much. And I understand that this is a rather popular show. I mean I didn't hate ''The Angry Beavers, or even disliked it. In fact, I remember watching this one a lot as a kid. But going through this retrospective, The Angry Beavers ''just did not do much for me. I was never annoyed by any of the episodes, but I didn't find myself laughing much or getting too invested into the plots. It's one of those shows that I can easily watch and sit through the whole half hour, but it's not something that I'm going to be '''burning '''to watch again. You know, it's one of those "watch it if it's on" type of shows for me. I get that a lot of people like this show. It's one of those cult classics. But I have a hard time seeing...why, to be completely honest with you. The show stars two beaver brothers, Norbert and Daggett, doing...pretty much anything and everything. It's kinda like ''Ren & Stimpy, where the show can have a baseline plot, but it sometimes doesn't. Sometimes the show is about these two brothers being on their own for the first time, and sometimes they're helping the military construct dams. And comparisons to other shows ''like Ren & Stimpy may be one of the reasons that I didn't like this show very much. It's 'like '''Ren & Stimpy in that the concept and the reality can be whatever the creators choose to be. Unlike '''Ren & Stimpy, the show doesn't ''usually get as bizarre to make it feel fitting. Like ''Rocko's Modern Life, it's about ''being on your own as a young adult for the first time. Unlike ''Rocko's Modern Life, it strays too far from reality to really utilize it, and it's easy to forget that these characters are in fact adults. Something that you would never do in Rocko's Modern Life. I guess people like this show for its character dynamics? Norbert and Daggett are definitely strong personalities. Norbert is this chill guy, everything always goes his way, and he tends to always have a plan. '''Norbert: '''Ladies, this, is my lovely brother I've been telling you about. Careful, or he'll suck the fun right out of the room. Meanwhile, Daggett is very childish, and is a bit more wild in personality. '''Daggett: '''Okay, listen up! I'm your new ranger and from now on, all complaints will be brought to me in writing! *gets covered in letters* And things don't tend to go well for him. I mean, this is an absolutely great character dynamic. It works ''exactly like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. I'm sorry, but all I can really see while watching this show is Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck living with each other. And you know, we got another show for that. I get that at the time this would have been really novel, the ''Looney Tunes wasn't doing so hot in 1997. It had been a while since they had 'really '''been utilized and their most recent break into the mainstream was ''Space Jam. And it would not be long until we get the Baby Looney Tunes. I'm trying to be nice here. I can certainly ''see why people like these characters ['Caption: The voice acting, and the Rick & Morty style improvisation really does help.]. I can't say that I myself dislike them, but it really does feel like schtick that I have seen before, and to be rather brutal, I have seen it done better. The show does tend to get meta, like the episode where Norbert and Daggett go into a monster movie, and then there's the finale that Nickelodeon didn't give the greenlight on. [Caption: Full audio of the not-made finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPP4zUDuo4c] Norbert: '''I've never told you this before because I was afraid your tiny and feebled mind couldn't combobulate it. We...are a cartoon. '''Daggett: '''Wah! '''Norbert: '''We aren't real! We're animated characters in a cartoon! Real beavers don't have appliances, they don't use bathrooms! And they don't talk. '''Daggett: '''Poor things! '''Norbert: '''Technically, we're an optical illuuusion. Observe. If you don't know, Nickelodeon didn't allow the finale of this show to ever be filmed, let alone aired. This is because it broke two of Nickelodeon's rules at the time. The first is that it broke the fourth wall. Ignoring the fact that ''KaBlam! ''was essentially built on talking directly to the audience. That rule is stupid, but the second rule is a bit more sinister and it will let you know that yes, Nickelodeon has always been evil. Nickelodeon stated that a cartoon could not state that it was the final episode of the cartoon. And why is that? It's because, they wanted kids to keep watching, after the show had ended, hoping for more new episodes. So if you're wondering why ''Danny Phantom ''was the first ever Nicktoon to have a grand finale as an episode, as bad as it was, now you know why. Nickelodeon had scummy policies since the nineties. The audio for the episode was recorded and has since been put online, and it's definitely an interesting listen. I do wish that it was made because...like I said, I don't have any ill will towards this show. I just don't have much ''good''' will towards it either ['Caption: For all of the cool Re-animated projects we've seen lately, like Band Geeks reanimated, I think it'd be really cool for teams like that try to tackle things that weren't animated in the first place, like the Angry Beavers finale']. And you know some people just have that kind of reaction to certain shows, even things that are really popular. I hear that ''The Loud House gets that kind of reaction from a lot of people, even though that is a show that I really do like. Usually. I'm trying to think of what else I can say about this one. The biggest problem here is that I feel like everything this show offers, I can not only get it somewhere else, but I can get it better. I guess it is kinda unique to have the older brother character, the more quote-unquote sane and down-to-earth character, being a touch more aloof and blind to the world around him, while the eccentric character and the younger brother Daggett, actually usually sees reality for what it is. As Nicktoons' answer to The Looney Tunes, it's okay. But that's not an insult, you can't really beat the best. I know that might not be entirely accurate, but that's really ''what this show feels like to me. It feels like I'm watching a...not-as-good "Bugs and Daffy living together." And it's not like ''The Looney Tunes ''never got meta either, so, ''Angry Beavers ''doesn't even have that. Obviously there's something in this show that other people have gravitated to that I haven't. Maybe they find the characters better or the humor hits them stronger than it hit me. I mean the show did make me laugh occasionally, but it's not on the level of say, ''Rocko, or Ren & Stimpy. The stories can be interesting, but nowhere near as interesting as Hey Arnold!, or even as relatable as Rocko, or as bizarre as Life with Loopy. That being said, there's nothing in the show that really ''bothered ''me. It's never annoying or ugly or disgusting, and as a nineties cartoon where even Hey Arnold! ''could touch on grossout here and there, that definitely does set it apart, at least slightly. Unfortunately, this review's gotta be a shorter one because I do feel like I'm repeating myself over and over to fill time at this point. There really is only so much you can say on a show that you feel lukewarm on. If any of the clips here seem interesting to you, I'd suggest checking it out. Maybe if ''Ren & Stimpy ''was ''too ''bizarre for you or ''Hey Arnold! ''went too far into straightforward storytelling, this one can work out for you as a sort of "middle ground." Other than that, I can't ''really ''give this show a recommendation. I'd give this one two thumbs way, way to the side. '''Announcer: '''Don't go away! Coming up next on Nickelodeon... ''(Cut to CatDog theme song) (End Credits Theme: "Yeah Yeah Yeah" from the episode "Beach Beavers a Go-Go") Category:Nick-o-Rama Category:Transcripts